The room was warm, but I didn’t feel it. A full-fledged shiver wouldn’t stop going up and down my spine, and my teeth were damn near chattering, but my focus was on that phone and whatever the message said.
My hands were slick. I rubbed them off on the robe and picked up the phone. My hands were shaking, too. I willed them to stop, as I keyed in the code. The phone unlocked, and I hit the unread message. It had been sent from Carl Maston. I paused for a second, my eyes flicking to Kian once more. I felt a pang in my chest, but opened the message. I had to know.
It worked. You’ve been voted back in. Call me ASAP to go over everything.
A second message came through as I was holding the phone. I almost dropped it but tightened my grip.
It was from the same Carl Maston.
Well done, son.
I left.
I called Snark, but he couldn’t come pick me up. He suggested not going to Erica and Wanker. They were known as my friends now, so the media would be on them. When Snark asked why I needed another hideaway, I didn’t answer. He just heard a slight sniffle from me and said I should go to the one place no one would think to look for me.
I called Jake.
He sounded surprised on the other end, but he’d be there in ten minutes. I was waiting in the back entryway of the hotel. If anyone looked for me, they could easily find me. My nails were digging through my sleeves and into the palms of my hands as I waited. I needed Jake to get here now.
I called Snark back. I didn’t want him to worry.
“What did he do?” Snark asked, distracting me.
I knew he didn’t mean Jake. “He used me.”
He was silent on the other end.
My frown deepened. I didn’t know what to think of his non-response.
He asked, “Are you sure?”
“Snark.”
“I just…” He let out a sigh. “Look, I’ve not been a fan of that kid since I heard he wanted to talk to you, but since dealing with him during this whole debacle, he doesn’t strike me as the using type.”
“I don’t,” I clipped out. But I had to ask him a question. “You said that Kian’s dad wanted him back for the company. You were going to go and see his parents to talk about keeping Kian away from me. Did you?”
“Oh.” He got quiet.
My eyebrows lifted. “Oh?”
“I don’t know what it means, but I never told you about that meeting because it didn’t happen.”
“You don’t think I should’ve known that information?”
“Want and should are completely different. I think you should’ve known, but I didn’t think you wanted to know. It doesn’t tell us anything, except that his dad is a jackass. That’s it, but we all knew that already.”
“And you’re telling me that you don’t think Kian’s using me after that?”
“What did he use you for?”
“To give him a recommendation or something. His sister said the investors of his dad’s company didn’t want Kian in, but now that I’ve spoken out, they’re letting him back in.”
“His sister?”
“Yeah, Felicia Maston.”
“Ah, cripes. She’s a piece of work herself. Are you sure you believe her?”
I leaned back, resting my head against the wall. “No. She’s shady. I can tell that much, but she was telling the truth about this. She didn’t strike me as the loving kind of sister, but…” I couldn’t shake my gut. She told the truth. “I’m over being hurt.”
Not from Kian, not after I gave him everything.
“Well, okay.” Snark was resigned. “I mean, if this is what you want to do, I’ll get back as soon as possible to help you.”
“No.”
Jake’s car turned around the corner.
I straightened from the wall. “I’m okay. My ride’s here.”
“Listen, I got called back to headquarters. I don’t know. Maybe that was the kid himself, or maybe his pops called in a favor and got me hauled back here, but my supervisor is stalling. The case they want me on isn’t panning out, and I’m on leave. Technically, I don’t have to stay here. Do you want me to come out there? I’ll fight them here, if you want me to.”
“No.” That was his job. “Stay. Do what you’re supposed to. I’ll be fine.”
Jake’s car slid to a stop, and he opened the passenger door, waiting for me.
“Thank you, Snark,” I said before hanging up and stuffing my phone into my pocket. Hurrying into the car, I asked Jake one question before I closed the door, “Did you intentionally answer Susan’s phone call before?”
“No.” He held my gaze. He didn’t seem surprised what I asked him, and he wasn’t being defensive. There was no eagerness in his eyes.
“Okay.” That answer would do for now. “Can you take me as far away as possible?”
He nodded. “Close the door.”
I did.
And he took me to a park.
Once the car stopped, turned toward a river that surrounded the park, I threw my hands up. “The park? You took me to a park? Jake.”
His mouth twitched. He was trying to hide a grin, and then he stopped trying. A big grin broke out along with a slight laugh. “Come on. It’s kinda funny.”
“No.” Not at all. “I’m not amused. I need to stay hidden.”
“Oh, yeah.” He undid his seat belt and leaned his seat back. His hand dismissed that notion. “Your interview made everyone love you. You don’t have to worry about getting tomatoes or flour thrown at you. You’re golden. You’d get lifted onto shoulders and hoisted in the air, if anything. You’re just fine. Plus,” he looked me up and down before smirking, “you’ve got your whole disguise look going on.”
I hadn’t thought about what I grabbed when I left, but I was dressed in one of Kian’s black sweatshirts and my jeans. I hated to admit it, but the smell of Kian was driving me crazy. I tried blocking it out. It was starting to hurt too much.
“Why here, though? Why not your place?”
“Because Tara’s there.”
I could only look at him. Those words…
I smacked him on the arm. “After all that time with me, you’re back with her?”
He chuckled softly. His smirk turned into an actual grin, and he shrugged. “I know. I realized I was a dumbass, and by the way, Tara ended her friendship with Susan.”
“She did?”
He nodded. “Tara found out what had happened, that Susan called me to get info on you for a story. Tara wasn’t happy about it. She saw it on the news. The whole thing’s there, Susan trying to ambush you guys. Someone caught it on camera.”
“Really?”
“And Wanker cornered her and had a standoff against her. Susan was seething. She was so pissed, said she’s going to sue.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. Who’s she going to sue?”
He shrugged. “Anyone. You? She’s saying you ruined her career, but she’s the jerk-off, not you.” He quieted, growing serious. “I mean, yeah, a lot of people were pissed at first, but I get it. I know why you hid. Everyone knows why you hid, especially after hearing your interview. Tara was bawling like a baby. She said I had no right being mad at you, and she followed that with a threat, saying I could never try to hook-up with you again, even if she and I break up.”
He was grinning again. It was infectious.
I found myself grinning back, and I teased, “Let’s face it…”
He waited for me.
“You’ll probably break up in six months.”
He held up some fingers. “Three. My bet is three.”
“Of course. I should’ve known.”
“And we’ll be together again in six months.”
I pretended to hit myself on the forehead. “What was I thinking?”
He pretended to be disappointed, shaking his head and making a disapproving tsk sound in his throat. “I don’t know. What am I going to do with you? It’s like we don’t even know each other.”